Playing with Fire
by KaitieCoo
Summary: An old friend of Jonathan Reeve's needs a favor.  His daughter. a figure skater, needs help with her artistic marks in competition so he pulls some stings to get her in to ABA.  What lies ahead for this sassy spitfire?
1. Chapter 1

My car pulled up to a big, ugly gray building on one of the busiest streets that I have ever seen. 'Isn't ballet supposed to be beautiful? Kind of ironic that something so beautiful is taught in such an ugly building.' I thought to myself.

"Lizzie! Hello! Earth to Lizzie. Come in Lizzie!" my dad yelled to get my attention. "We have to get inside for our meeting with Jonathan."

"Coming dad."

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth Myers, I go by Lizzie though, I'm 18 and from Charleston, South Carolina. What am I doing in New York City, you ask? Well, I've been a figure skater since I was 3 and my technical marks have always been perfect but a lot of the judges seem to think that I need to work on my artistic marks. My dad was a dancer for most of his life until he met my mom and went to work for her family's business. One of his best friends is Jonathan Reeves. You must know who that is right? He's the director of the American Ballet Academy and what brought me to New York. Jonathan offered to help out his ole buddy and let me take classes with his dancers in hopes to help me, and his company (my dad probably threw in some money).

This feels like the first day of high school; or what I imagine that would feel like; since I'm always traveling, I'm home schooled. I have all these butterflies in my tummy and feel all anxious. If the dance world is anything like figure skating, it's seriously competitive and the girls aren't the nicest. My dad keeps telling me "you're going to be fine", "you have nothing to worry about" but I just have this feeling that he's wrong on both counts.

As we walk in the door, the group of students in the lobby stops talking and just stare at us. 'This is exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen. I'm now a novelty.' I think to myself. We make our way to the reception desk but before we get there we hear someone call out to us.

"Michael! How are you? It's great to see you! This must be Elizabeth. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby." Jonathan said.

"Hi Mr. Reeves. It's good to see you, too."

"Jonathan. It's been way to long!" my dad said as he gave him a hug. "I can't believe it's been 10 years since we've seen each other. Thank you so much for letting Lizzie join some of your classes. She's been so nervous about coming here."

"Elizabeth will do very well here. I've seen her skate on television. It will just take some adjusting but I know she will be a great asset to our school."

"Jon, you know this isn't forever, right? We've talked about this. Lizzie is first and foremost a skater. Don't go trying to change that."

"Michael, I know she's a skater but while she is here, she's a dancer."

"Umm hi! She is standing right here and she can talk," I quipped.

"Sorry Elizabeth. Your dad and I tend to zone out when we have a difference of opinions. Are you ready for a tour of the place and to see your new room?" Jonathan kindly asked.

"Yeah, that would be great. I'd really like to get settled quickly."

The tour seemed to fly by and this place is so big. That nervous feeling in my stomach came flying back in with all of my 'what ifs' floating through my mind. What if I got lost of my first day? What if I was late to my first class? What if everyone hates me? What if I don't catch on to the steps quickly? But the looming question in my mind, what if this doesn't help my skating and I never get a chance at world? Figure skating has been my life for the past fifteen years and the idea my dreams never coming true is crushing.

"And here is your room for the next few months. I know it's not like your place back home but it's all yours." Jonathan showed me.

"Thanks for being so good to my little girl, Jon. Why don't we let her get settled and we can meet up later for dinner? Does that sound good, angel?"

"Yeah daddy. That's fine. Do you want me to just text you when I'm ready?"

"Sounds good. Jon, why don't we get over to Brother Jimmy's to watch some football? The Gamecocks are playing today and I'd really like to catch a bit of the game."

"Good thinking, Mike."

And they were off leaving my in my new room to get settled in. It wasn't a bad space but it just didn't have the smell of home or my mama's voice floating through the air. 'Remember to call her later' I tell myself. I'm going to miss them so much while I'm up here. Thank God for Skype.

"Hey new girl. What's your name?" a girl with platinum blonde hair asked.

"Lizzie and you?" I reply. 'Seriously, the 1999 Christina Aguilera hair style called and they'd like to go back' I think to myself.

"Suzanne Von Stroh. Rumor has is that you're a washed up figure skater, is that true?"

"Suzanne, retract the claws and give the girl some breathing room. She just got here. I'm Tommy Anderson, by the way." The cute boy with brown eyes said to me.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you Tommy. And Suzanne, whoever said that I am a washed up figure skater wasn't telling the truth. I'm here to work on my artistic scores so that when I go to the World Championship, and I am going to World, I'll win."

After that the blonde bitch stalked off. Probably to start some more rumors.

"Sorry about her. She's a bit intense."

"Yeah, I can tell. I feel like I just got ambushed by a glow-in-the-dark Barbie."

Tommy laughs at my comment. "Glow-in-the-Dark, huh? That's a new one. Hey listen, you seem pretty cool; some of us are going out later to The Foundry. It's a bar downtown, would you like to join us?"

"That sounds so great but I'm not 21 yet."

"Don't worry about it. I'm a friend of the owner so I can get you in. I'll come grab you at around 10, sound good?"

"Perfect! See you then, Tommy."

With that, he left me to my thoughts again. 'Maybe this won't be too bad being up here. I just hope that Suzanne isn't part of the group who's coming. I wonder if Tommy has a girlfriend. I bet he does. He's way too cute not to have a girlfriend.'


	2. Chapter 2

It was nice to hang out with my dad one last time before he went back home; I will really miss him and my mother while I'm up here. 'This is going to be good for me. This is going to help my skating.' This is the mantra that I keep telling myself as my father is driving away waving out the window of the taxi. "Bye Baby Girl! I love you so much! I know you are going to do great!" My dad yells out the window.

This is it. I am on my own in a new city trying out dancing. I've always had in interest in dancing but skating had always gotten in the way, not that I would ever tell my father that. His dream for me has always been to get gold in skating; I think that is because he never reached the top during his youth. Figure skating has such a short shelf life, much like dancing, but then he met my mom and everything changed. I have always felt guilt where my dad's career has been concerned. Maybe that is why I have always pushed myself so hard. I've wanted to make it up to my dad for making him retire early. My dream has been to become a contemporary ballet dancer. I've been watching Cooper Neilson for years and just love how he gets lost in the dance. The passion that these dancers have, the lines that they make and the joy that they create for thousands of people is amazing. Yes, at a figure skater you can do all of those things but I have always been afraid that my heart has always been with dancing and not with skating.

I sigh and look up at the dark grey building. 'Deep breaths, girl. You got this!'

I sighed and walked back in to the ABA building. As I check my watch I realize I only have about 30 minutes to get ready to go out with Tommy and his friends. With that, I race back to my dorm room and rifle through all of my clothes. 'What the hell does someone wear to go out in New York? I sure don't have Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe!'

Not too much later, I decided on wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a deep garnet strapless top, a sassy black vest and knee high boots. I thought I looked really good but I really hope that Tommy thinks that I look good.

Just as I was finishing up my makeup, I hear a knock at the door. I take one last deep break and open the door to find Tommy and a couple of other people and, thankfully, not bitch Barbie

"Hi Tommy!" I say happily.

"Lizzie, hi. You look great." Tommy says and my inner diva starts dancing around and giggling over him thinking I look great. "I'd like you to meet some friends of mine, this is Sal and Anna. Guys, this is Lizzie."

"Oh I know who she is Tommy! Lizzie it is so nice to meet you in person! We were really cheering for you at the last World Championships. That German judge just didn't know what he was looking at because you definitely deserved Gold." Anna said.

"Wow thanks Anna! That is really nice of you to say. It was a really tough competition and it really stung when the scores came up but Amelia really deserved it. But there is always this years competition and hopefully being here will help with my artistic marks."

"Well, now that we are introduced, why don't we go dancing?" Tommy said.

"Yeah! Let me grab my jacket and we'll go."

I quickly shuffled through my room and grabbed my jacket and purse. 'This is going to be so fun!'

Just after I pulled my door shut and Sal and Anna were walking down this hallway, Tommy grabbed my wrist and looked me in the eyes and said, "Really, Lizzie, you look really beautiful tonight."

I blushed and said "Thanks Tommy. You look really hot tonight. Err I mean really handsome."

'I cannot believe I just said that out loud. Gosh Lizzie! How stupid could you be?' My subconscious scolded me. Tommy just smiled at me and moved his hand down to mine to grab it. He lightly tugged on my hand.

"Come on, Lizzie." He said smiling at me. As we were walking down the hall he whispered to himself, "You look hot too."

The bar is nothing like I have ever seen before. There are lights flashing in all different colors, loud music, people drinking and having a good time and lots of people dancing. They are dancing like I've never seen any one dance before.

I'm gazing out on to the dance floor and I think Tommy notices. He glances over at me and says, "They are all pretty amazing, huh?"

"Yeah! I mean I have never seen anyone move like that other than in movies. You can tell that they really understand the movements. I really wish I were able to dance like they are." I respond to him.

"Seriously Lizzie? You have everything it takes to dance like them. You got passion, heart, intensity and fire. Everything is all here, you just gotta know how to use it." As he puts his hand over my heart.

"I don't know if I got it. My 'dancing' is nothing like this."

"Wanna bet? I bet you blow all of these people out of the water once you warm up. You are Lizzie Queen of Gold! Who the hell do you have to be afraid of? I bet if you go out there, that German judge wouldn't know what hit him! "

"Tommy!" a voice is somehow able to yell over the music. 'Oh it's her' my subconscious thinks.

"Suzanne, what are you doing here?" Tommy says with obvious surprise.

"Dancing of course!" She responds. She tugs on his arm and continues, "Let's go! We aren't going to get any younger!"

And with that Tommy disappeared into the sea of dancers leaving me by myself. 'Game on Bitch Barbie' I thought to myself. 'Game on!'


End file.
